Framework Background

The Clinical Prevention and Population Health Curriculum Framework is a product of the interprofessional APTR Healthy People Curriculum Task Force, established in 2002 by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR).  The Framework provides a common core of knowledge for clinical health professions about individual and population‐oriented prevention and health promotion efforts.  Health professions educators are encouraged to review their curricula and curricular requirements to ensure they include elements of the Framework. 

Rationale

The Task Force members believe that if the United States is to achieve Healthy People objectives, all health professionals must incorporate population health principles and activities into their education and professional practices. The Task Force recognizes the value of using an interprofessional education approach for teaching and learning clinical prevention and population health, as well as for developing models for students' future clinical practice. 

Population health has been defined as “the health outcomes of a group of individuals including the distribution of such outcomes within the group.”[1] More recently, population health has been described as “measuring and optimizing the health of groups and in so doing embraces the full range of determinants of health, including health care delivery.”[2] 

Improving the nation’s health requires health professionals to understand and apply prevention and population health principles, practice in interprofessional teams, and link with other programs and services that affect health.  Interprofessional team-based care—care delivered by intentionally created work groups who share the responsibility for a group of patients[3]‑-is facilitated by the development of the relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes early in the process of health professions education.  

A more effective, sustainable healthcare system includes a workforce that: 

• understands and  integrates population health principles and implications for individual patients, clinical practices, and the community;
• is committed to working in interprofessional teams to promote health, as well as prevent disease and injury;
• contributes to the public health systems in which they practice; and
• is dedicated to improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities across the population being served.

Curriculum Recommendations

Although the Framework was primarily designed to provide guidelines for education in the clinical health professions represented on the Healthy People Curriculum Task Force, the Framework is applicable to many other health professions disciplines. The Task Force thus recommends that all health professions education programs:

• Incorporate clinical prevention and population health educational content in their curricula.
  
• Evaluate students’ knowledge and skills with regard to clinical prevention and population health.
  
• Systematically determine whether appropriate domains and topic areas in the Curriculum Framework are part of its standardized examinations for licensure and certification as well as program accreditation.
  
• Use diverse teaching and learning methods to incorporate clinical prevention and population health content into degree and continuing education programs, including service‐learning, problem/case‐based learning, and simulation methods.
• Integrate innovative, interprofessional educational experiences and approaches focused on clinical prevention and population health.

Framework Revisions

The Curriculum Framework was first published in 2004 and undergoes revision every five years. The current version is the fourth revision of the Framework published in 2020, and features a greater emphasis on social determinants of health (SDOH) and health equity.  A new domain addressing mental and behavioral health was added and illustrative examples were updated.

​The fifth revision will be released for public comment in December 2025.
​
The Healthy People Curriculum Task Force convened health professions and public health faculty with expertise in population health to be appointed to Curriculum Framework Revision Workgroups for one year beginning in December 2023.  Forty-seven faculty experts served on four component-specific workgroups. The role of the Workgroups was to recommend major and minor edits and suggest teaching resources for their respective Framework Components. The Workgroups developed proposed drafts for Task Force review and feedback in March, June, and September 2024. The Task Force then completed its own editing process with support from APTR-affiliated faculty with content-area expertise, and prepared the document for public comment. After a 30-day public comment period, the Task Force will review submitted feedback and recommend additional changes prior to publication in February 2026.

4th revision: 14 New or Revised Topic Areas

• 1.5.B. Impact of biological factors on health 
• 1.5.C. Impact of discrimination, sexism and racism on equity and inclusion in health care and on health
• 1.6.A. Data analytics 
• 2.1.D. Approaches to behavior change incorporating diverse patient perspectives 
• 2.1.F. Identification of vulnerable and at-risk patients and populations, especially those in need of particular clinical preventive services and health promotion
• 2.3.A. Access to mental, behavioral, and addiction health services 
• 2.3.B. Risk reduction 
• 2.3.C. Screening and detection of mental and behavioral health problems 
• 2.3.D. Clinician wellbeing 
• 2.5.B. Considerations for use of preventive medication 
• 2.5.C. Adverse drug events 
• 3.1.F. Systems thinking in population health 
• 3.2.B. Principles to successful partnering 
• 4.1.E. Impact of health systems organization on health outcomes 

5th REVISION WORKGROUPS

COMPONENT  1: ​Foundations of Population Health

Quantitative and analytic skills used to assess, compare, describe, and monitor the health of populations.
​
Ken Johnson, PhD, CHES -- CHAIR
Weber State University Dumke College of Health Professions | UT
Discipline(s): Allied Health | ASAHP
 
Sofia Abraham-Hardee, DO/PhD, FACOP, FAAP, CS
VCOM- Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine | VA
Discipline(s): Osteopathic Medicine | AACOM
 
Jordan Covvey, PharmD, PhD
Duquesne University School of Pharmacy | PA
Discipline(s): Pharmacy | AACP
 
Judy Didion, PhD, RN
Oakland University School of Nursing | MI
Discipline(s): Public Health, Nursing | AACN
 
Shanta Dube, PhD, MPH
Levine College of Health Sciences, Wingate University | NC
Discipline(s): Public Health, Allied Health | APTR
 
Danielle Fastring, MS, MPH, PhD
William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine | MS
Discipline(s): Public Health, Osteopathic Medicine | AACOM
 
Erica Hooper, DNP, RN, CNS, CNL, PHN
Kaiser Permanente and USF | California
Discipline(s): Public Health, Nursing, Advanced Practice Nursing | AACN
 
Tyler Kiles, PharmD, MPH
The University of Texas at Austin School of Pharmacy | TX
Discipline(s): Public Health, Pharmacy | AACP
 
Matthew Mara, DMD, EdD
Boston University School of Dental Medicine | MA
Discipline(s): Public Health, Dentistry | ADEA
 
Andrew Pumerantz, DO, MPH
Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific | CA
Discipline(s): Public Health, Osteopathic Medicine | AACOM
 
Shirin Shafazand, MD, MS, FRCP(c), FCCP, D. ABSM, ATSF
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine | FL
Discipline(s): Allopathic Medicine | AAMC
 
Grace Sun, DNP
University of Texas at Tyler School of Nursing | TX
Discipline(s): Advanced Practice Nursing | NONPF
 
Jeannette Wade, PhD Sociology
UNC Greensboro | NC
Discipline(s): Public Health, Allied Health | ASAHP
​

COMPONENT  2: ​Clinical Preventive Services & Health Promotion

Evidence-based, health promotion and disease prevention interventions in the clinical setting.

Angela Blood, PhD, MPH, MBA -- CHAIR
Association of American Medical Colleges | DC
Discipline(s): Medical Education | AAMC
 
Mark Andrews, PhD
Duquesne University College of Osteopathic Medicine | PA
Discipline(s): Osteopathic Medicine | AACOM
 
Kathryn Bernheisel, DNP, MSN, MPH, FNP-BC
University of South Carolina College of Nursing | SC
Discipline(s): Public Health, Nursing, Advanced Practice Nursing | AACN
 
Salma Elwazeer, BDS, MDS, MPH, FRSPH
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso School of Dental Medicine | TX
Discipline(s): Public Health, Dentistry | ADEA
 
Lauren Mays, DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing | AL
Discipline(s): Nursing, Advanced Practice Nursing | NONPF
 
Elizabeth McClain, PhD, EdS, MPH, MA
Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine | AK
Discipline(s): Public Health, Ethics | AACOM
 
Joyce Nieman, MHS, PA-C, MLS(ASCP)
Stanford University | CA
Discipline(s): Physician Assistant, Medical Laboratory Science | APTR/PAEA
 
Natalie Rosario, PharmD, MPH, BCACP
University of Houston | TX
Discipline(s): Public Health, Pharmacy | AACP
 
Jeanine Stancanelli, OTD, MPH, BS
Mercy University | NY
Discipline(s): Occupational Therapy, Public Health | ASAHP
 
Mary Jo Stanley, PhD, RN, CNE
Colorado Mesa University | CO
Discipline(s): Public Health, Nursing | AACN
 
Yordanos Tiruneh, PhD
University of Texas at Tyler School of Health Professions | TX
Discipline(s): Public Health | APTR
 
Mushfiq Tarafder, PhD, MPH, MBBS
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) | PA
Discipline(s): Allopathic Medicine | AAMC
 
Hoai-An Truong, PharmD, MPH
University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Pharmacy and Health Professions | MD
Discipline(s): Public Health, Pharmacy | AACP

COMPONENT  3​: ​Clinical Practice & Population Health

Opportunities and disciplines that require individual- and population-based health perspectives.

​Katrice Cain, MA -- CHAIR
Association of American Medical Colleges | DC
Discipline(s): Medical Education | AAMC

Frank Acevedo, MS, PA-C 
Molloy University PA Program | NY
Discipline(s): Physician Assistant | ASAHP/PAEA

Carmen Black, MD 
Yale School of Medicine | CT
Discipline(s): Allopathic Medicine | AAMC

John Conry, PharmD 
St. John's University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | NY
Discipline(s): Public Health, Pharmacy | AACP

Lori Edwards, DrPH, MPH, BSN 
University of Maryland School of Nursing | MD
Discipline(s): Public Health, Nursing, Advanced Public Health Nursing | AACN

Linda Gibson-Young, PhD, ARNP, MBA 
Auburn University College of Nursing | AL
Discipline(s): Nursing, Advanced Practice Nursing | NONPF

Hyma Gogineni, PharmD 
Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy | CA
Discipline(s): Pharmacy | AACP

Alisa Haushalter, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC 
University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing | TN
Discipline(s): Advanced Public Health Nursing | AACN

Marcelle Nascimento, DDS, MS, PhD 
University of Buffalo School  of Dental Medicine | NY
Discipline(s): Dentistry, Cariology | ADEA

Kim Pfotenhauer, DO, FACOFP 
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine | MI
Discipline(s): Osteopathic Medicine | AACOM

Leonard Powell, DO 
ROWAN-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine | NJ
Discipline(s): Osteopathic Medicine | AACOM

COMPONENT  4: ​Health Systems & Health Policy

Systems and policies that help to govern the health and healthcare system, including collaborations between the clinical care and public health communities.
​
Susan Swider, PhD, APHN-BC, FAAN -- CHAIR
Rush University College of Nursing | IL
Discipline(s): Nursing, Public Health | AACN
 
Joyce Addo-Atuah, PhD, MSc, BPharm
Touro University College of Pharmacy | NY
Discipline(s): Public Health, Pharmacy | AACP
 
Vicki Brooks, DNP, FNP-BC
Texas Christian University College of Nursing and Health Sciences | TX
Discipline(s): Advanced Practice Nursing | NONPF
 
Rosemary Caron, PhD, MPH
MGH Institute of Health Professions | MA
Discipline(s): Public Health | APTR
 
Susan Harrington, BSN, MSN, PhD
Grand Valley State University College of Nursing | MI
Discipline(s): Public Health, Policy and Hospice and Palliative Care | AACN
 
Christina Moylan, MHS, PhD
Ithaca College | NY
Discipline(s): Public Health | ASAHP
 
Sudhakar Pemminati, PhD, MSc, MBA
California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine | CA
Discipline(s): Osteopathic Medicine | AACOM
 
John Rovers, PharmD, MIPH, CPH
Drake University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences | IA
Discipline(s): Public Health, Pharmacy | AACP
 
John Whicker, MSN, BSN
Cumberland University School of Nursing and Health Professions | TN
Discipline(s): Public Health, Nursing, Nursing Education | AACN
 
Kimberly Elliott, PhD
University of Texas at Tyler School of Health Professions | TX
Discipline(s): Public Health | APTR

[1] Kindig D and Stoddard G.What is Population Health?  Am J Public Health. March 2003; 93(3): 380-3.
[2] Gourevitch Marc. Population Health and the Academic Medical Center: The Time Is Right. Academic  Medicine. April 2014; 89(4): 544-549.
[3] Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) 2023. https://www.ipecollaborative.org/ipec-core-competencies​